Blinken said Hamas should follow Israel’s lead in accepting the Gaza proposal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a “bridging proposal” put out by Washington to address differences preventing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also urged Hamas to follow suit.

Following a full day of meetings with Israeli leaders, including a two and a half-hour meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken addressed the media. This drive was likely the greatest and arguably the final chance for a deal, according to statements made previously by the top U.S. diplomat.

In response to the U.S. suggestion to close the gaps between Israel and Hamas, negotiations in Qatar aimed at reaching a ceasefire and agreement on the return of hostages were set to resume this week after pausing last week without result.

Blinken’s visit coincides with increased pressure on U.S. President Joe Biden to change his position on the issue as the election year approaches. His Democratic party began its national convention on Monday amidst pro-Palestinian demonstrations and concerns over Muslim and Arab American votes in battleground areas.

There are, however, few signs of reconciliation on the ground and concerns of a wider war, with the Palestinian Islamist group claiming responsibility for a blast in Tel Aviv on Sunday night and announcing a return to suicide bombing inside Israel after many years. Moreover, medics report that Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Monday.

“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal – that he supports it,” Blinken said to reporters in Jerusalem.

“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same, and then the parties, with the help of the mediators – the United States, Egypt and Qatar – have to come together and complete the process of reaching clear understandings about how they’ll implement the commitments that they’ve made under this agreement.”

HARMLESS NEGOTIATIONS

Both Israel and Hamas have indicated that any agreement will be challenging, despite hopeful statements from the United States and a good assessment of the meeting from Netanyahu’s administration.

The same problems have been the subject of months of intermittent negotiations: Israel maintains that the war can only stop if Hamas is destroyed as a political and military entity, while Hamas insists that it will only accept an ongoing ceasefire.

Disagreements exist regarding Israel’s continuous military presence in Gaza, especially near the Egyptian border, the freedom of movement of Palestinians within the region, and the identity and quantity of detainees to be exchanged for freedom.

Officials from Hamas claimed that Washington supported Israel.

“When Blinken claims that the Israelis consented and the Israelis later announce that a revised proposal has been made, this indicates that Israeli pressure is applied to the Americans, not the other way around. According to senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, “We think it’s a manoeuvre that gives the Israelis more time,” Reuters was informed.

According to Israeli estimates, the current Gaza conflict started on October 7, 2023, when militants from Hamas broke into Israeli neighborhoods, murdering over 1,200 people and kidnapping roughly 250 captives.

Since then, the Israeli military has destroyed large portions of the Palestinian enclave, forcing almost all 2.3 million residents from their homes, resulting in severe malnutrition and illness, and killing at least 40,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.

The Philadelphia Boulevard

Blinken met Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday on his ninth visit to the area since the start of the war. He then met with Yoav Gallant, the minister of defense, and in the upcoming days, he is also scheduled to visit Egypt and Qatar.

According to Egyptian security sources, an agreement on a security arrangement for the so-called Philadelphia Corridor between Egypt and Gaza is a must for holding additional ceasefire negotiations in Cairo this week. According to the sources, the United States has suggested maintaining an international presence in the region; this idea might be approved provided it was restricted to a maximum of six months.

Families of hostages in Israel, who have organized demonstrations calling for a settlement, spoke out once more on Monday.

Ayelet Levy-Shachar spoke on Kan Radio, saying, “Don’t sacrifice my daughter and the dozens of helpless hostages.” 20-year-old daughter Naama was taken prisoner at an army base.

A few carried American flags and posters during a demonstration in Tel Aviv that said, “Hostage deal immediately,” “Hey Joe! “They don’t have time,” and “Mr. Biden, please help us save them.”

Palestinians inside Gaza expressed little hope that Blinken’s visit would result in a ceasefire.

“They are lying more and more in an attempt to ruin us. Kill us, kill our kids, starve us and leave us without a place to live. Hanan Abu Hamid, a Palestinian who was forced from her Rafah home, said, “Blinken is useless; his visit will harm the Palestinian people.”

The dispute has caused months of border battles between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, which is sponsored by Iran, and has rattled the whole Middle East area. It also poses a possibility of a wider escalation that might involve major nations.